Chapter 31

Can you believe it? As of last Friday morning, this work only had 19 bookmarks...

Thank you to everyone who has read it up until now, and to those who have read it since then!

Being able to enter the top 5 in the High Fantasy category of the daily genre rankings is all thanks to the support of all the fans! Thanks a bunch!

Also, I'm grateful for the report on the typo corrections; it's no laughing matter how many typos I made.

The evening post is undecided...

Nord had the carriage driven from the capital for several days. Gradually, the road's paving became worse, and the carriage, which jolted and shook, was far from comfortable. Neut, his travel companion, initially enjoyed the jolting but soon grew bored and eventually became annoyed. In the end, he avoided the carriage except for the minimum necessary times (meal times, night, and when there were passersby).

As they moved north from the capital, the air grew cooler, and Nord dreamed of the day when Neut would grow up and carry him on his back, seeing the young flying dragon soaring through the pleasant sky. However, in reality, they were crawling along a rural road that was merely a grassy path, and this situation would continue until they reached Alba Village, governed by his elder brother.

Summer was nearing its end, and the sunset was getting earlier each day. In Alba Village, further north of the capital, this trend was even more pronounced.

They should be arriving soon.

According to the location of Alba Village mentioned in the letter, they should already be in the vicinity. Nord thought this, but the village was still not in sight, and the surroundings gradually grew dim.

The sun, which had dyed the mountain ridges red, slowly set, and just as Nord began to seriously consider camping for the night, the village finally came into view at the end of the rural road.

Reluctantly, he hung a lantern at the front of the carriage and, guided by the faint light from the village, continued down the road that was turning from dim to dark.

Finally, when they arrived at Alba Village, it was already pitch black, and the village was completely shrouded in the darkness of night.

The villagers, having seen the light of the lantern hanging from the front of the carriage, sent a young man, who seemed to be part of the village's self-defense group, with a torch to inquire.

"What brings you here at this hour of the night?"

"Yes, this is Alba Village, right? I am Nord Ferris, the younger brother of Johan d'Obrielle von Alba, the lord of Alba Village."

"Please, wait a moment!"

When Nord announced himself and mentioned that he had been summoned by his brother Johan, the young man ran to fetch another member of the self-defense group.

Nord waited at the village entrance, and soon the messenger returned with another man.

This man held a lantern, and the yellow light illuminated the face of a middle-aged man. The wrinkles on his face and the sweat suggested he had run there.

"Apologies for the wait, Lord Obrielle is expecting you. Please, this way."

It seemed that Nord's presence had been successfully communicated, and he followed the middle-aged man, leading the carriage.

The carriage moved slowly through the village, and the sound of its wheels echoed in the night. As they moved, Nord could feel the curious gazes of the villagers, who had come out of their houses to see what was happening. Eventually, a particularly large mansion came into view.

This mansion stood on a small hill in the village.

The road leading to it was sloped and surrounded by wooden fences and gates.

In times of emergency, this mansion would serve as a fortress.

Nord deduced the location of the village and the role of the mansion based on the terrain he could barely make out in the darkness. This was the result of the education he had received in the Iron Dragon Knights for over half a year, and he was applying what he had learned in practice.

At the gate, a man in a butler's uniform was waiting, and the middle-aged man handed over the guiding to him.

The middle-aged man was dressed neatly for a villager, wearing cotton pants and a shirt with a leather vest, a look more akin to an urban resident.

He was probably the village chief or a relative.

While thinking this, Nord spoke to the butler.

"Is my brother, Sir Johan d'Obrielle, at home?"

"He is in the mansion."

"I am Nord Ferris. Can I drive the carriage in?"

"No, it would be better if you could get off here. We will take care of the rest."

"Then, I'll leave it to you," Nord replied briefly and got off the carriage.

He only carried his personal belongings in his hand.

He informed the butler that there were gifts from the capital, prepared by his mother Maria and Alek, in the carriage, and the butler promised to have them brought in later.

Then, when Nord called out, "Neut," a flying dragon with deep green scales appeared from inside the carriage.

The scales glinted in the light of the torches and lanterns, shining brightly in the darkness.

The middle-aged man, startled by the appearance of this creature so different from a human, exclaimed, "Wow!"

The butler also seemed surprised, his eyes wide open.

"Kyu~"

When Nord gestured for Neut to come closer and petted his head, Neut let out a ticklish-sounding cry. This showed that he was not a dangerous presence, and the frozen group began to move again in the darkness.

"We need a place for this one to sleep as well."

"Ah, we will prepare it."

Nord also mentioned that Neut needed food, and the butler, with a slightly troubled tone, replied that they would take care of it.

---

"Thank you for coming from so far, Nord...!?"

"It's good to see you, brother, and you seem well."

Johan, who greeted Nord inside the mansion, first smiled when he saw Nord's face as he passed through the door, but then his words were interrupted when he saw Neut's face peeking out from behind Nord.

On the other hand, Nord, as if nothing was wrong, calmly expressed his gratitude for the long-awaited reunion.

Johan's expression showed that he had been outwitted, and Nord smiled mischievously, as if he had successfully pulled off a prank.

Then, they embraced each other, hugging shoulders, and rejoiced in their reunion.

Next, Nord exchanged greetings with Lady Obrielle, Johan's wife, her parents, the former Lord and Lady Obrielle, and Lady Obrielle's sisters.

The Obrielle family, like the Ferris family, had many children. Lady Obrielle had four sisters, making them a total of five sisters.

They all seemed surprised by the sight of the deep green-scaled flying dragon.

Neut, the one who had startled the Obrielle family, seemed interested in the luxurious interior of the Obrielle mansion, which was different from the Ferris family's – with vases, paintings, and ornate candlesticks and wallpaper. (The Ferris family's interior was "simple and sturdy," and such decorative items were rarely seen)

He looked around curiously and sniffed the air.

To prevent any damage, Nord instructed Neut to behave, and Neut obediently followed the command.

"This is... that?"

"Yes, have you seen it?"

A few months ago, Neut had attended his sister Hanna's wedding, hidden under Nord's coat.

However, his presence was known to the attendees, and as a relative of the Ferris family, the head of the Obrielle family and his brother Johan, as well as Lady Obrielle, had seen Neut.

However, they had not expected that the newborn dragon (a newly hatched chick) would grow so much in just half a year.

"Neut, greet them."

"Kyu"

When Nord called out, Neut let out a light cry.

He did not understand the greeting, but Nord had given the signal for him to make a sound.

However, the scene was comical, and it emphasized the cuteness of the still young Neut, successfully dispelling any remaining wariness the Obrielle family had toward Neut.

---

After the greetings, Nord was invited to the Obrielle family's dining table.

The table was set with dishes made from meat and vegetables harvested in Alba Village. The meal was not a luxurious gourmet feast but rather a simple, home-cooked meal.

The Obrielle family, being a small noble family governing a small territory of a few hundred people, were essentially wealthy peasants or village chiefs. Their lifestyle was far from the opulent and luxurious one that commoners might imagine. That was the life of marquises and earls.

However, the financial situation of the Obrielle family, which owned a territory, was worlds apart from the Ferris family, which had only honor and a few weapons and armor.

The simple village meal, which the Obrielle family modestly referred to as "a humble meal," was a feast for Nord, with fresh vegetables and meat, and freshly baked bread with a fragrant aroma.

Being invited to a noble's dining table means more than just a meal.

It is a stage for important discussions and political struggles, and sometimes a cover for conspiracies. However, this is usually the case.

For Nord, who was a relative of the Obrielle family and a blood brother of the head of the family, Johan, it was simply a family gathering.

While enjoying the delicious food and the wine made in the territory, the conversation naturally turned to the political situation in the capital and the recent news about the family.

"Are you thinking about marriage, Nord?"

"No, not yet. It's still a distant dream for an apprentice."

"An apprentice, you mean a dragon knight?"

"Yes, I'm being trained in the Iron Dragon Knights, though I'm at the lowest rank."

"To be in the Iron Dragon Knights at your age! Your father must be very proud!"

"I'm still far from being good. The senior knights are..."

As the conversation continued with a glass of red wine in hand, the alcohol made the lips more slippery, and the conversation became more lively.

When the atmosphere warmed up, the topic shifted to Nord himself.

Nord's entry into the Iron Dragon Knights was known to the Ferris family and its close relatives.

The former head of the Obrielle family, who had passed the family leadership to his son-in-law Johan, was also a knight with the title "d'."

The topic of the Iron Dragon Knights, which were as popular as the royal guards, seemed to pique the interest of the former Lord Obrielle, who was still enthusiastic even in his old age.

"Hmm, so how is the training going...?"

"Well, let me tell you what I saw at the training ground..."

Nord could not share confidential information (and he did not know much), but even so, the real state of the Iron Dragon Knights, as told by a trainee, was stimulating and interesting for the lord of Alba Village, which was located in a quiet, rural environment with few entertainments.

While the name of the Iron Dragon Knights was well-known, few nobles in the capital knew the actual state of the knights, not because it was a secret, but because it was difficult to have any connection with them.

The royal guards, who were popular alongside the Iron Dragon Knights, had a higher public profile.

The royal guards, whose main duty was to protect the royal family, could always be seen at the royal castle, and even commoners, let alone direct vassals, had opportunities to meet the royal family, such as during the investiture ceremony for the succession of the family leadership or when serving at the royal castle every few years.

Moreover, if one was lucky enough to be a classmate of the crown prince at the military academy, there was even a possibility of joining the royal guards.

On the other hand, the Iron Dragon Knights, who were completely selected based on merit and usually stationed at their base for training, were shrouded in secrecy.

Local nobles might see them only during joint exercises.

"By the way, I heard that the Eastern Knights participated in the large-scale exercise this year."

"Yes, my son-in-law from the Alba territory also participated."

"What was it like, brother?"

"Well, it was quite a challenge..."

He recalled and brought up the topic.

Alba Village was located in the northeast, but it belonged to the Eastern Knights.

It seemed that the Obrielle family had also participated in the exercise, and Johan began to talk about the large-scale exercise.

Nord had already heard about the results of the exercise from his father, Albert, and his elder brother, Albiore, in the capital. Albiore had shown considerable skill in leading a squad during the exercise and was likely to be promoted soon. Upon hearing this, Albert had said, "It might be time to pass on the family leadership..."

This could bring new changes to the Ferris family.

"I was planning to discuss work matters tomorrow, but this is a good opportunity. The reason I asked you to come is related to this matter."

"The exercise? I understand that the request was to eliminate the knight spiders."

"Yes, that's right, but..."

Johan's words were hesitant.

The conversation shifted to a matter deeply related to the Alba territory, and the atmosphere became tense.

The previously lively dining table suddenly became quiet, and the sound of the dishes clinking together echoed in the dining room.

Nord sensed the change in the conversation and switched his thoughts.

He placed the glass of wine on the table, on the pure white tablecloth.

"While I was away on the knight exercise, a woodsman in the forest reported seeing goblin tracks. Since there were many of them, I asked the nearby guild to send adventurers."

Johan, having organized his thoughts, continued.

Nord listened silently to the story.

"The elimination was successful, but during the process, the adventurers reported finding a 'large spider's web.' They said it was a bigger monster, so I wanted to ask them to eliminate it as well, but the adventurers were all out on other jobs."

The story continued.

Due to the large-scale exercise, the knights were away, and the nearby adventurer guild had been asked to handle the request. However, the available adventurers were only at the level of stone or crystal, and none of them were at the level of crystal or higher, which was necessary to fight the knight spiders.

Thus, the request was sent to the headquarters of the adventurer guild in the capital. At that time, Nord, who was in the capital and was a crystal-level adventurer, was remembered, and a special request was made for him.

I see, Nord nodded in understanding.

The adventurer guild of the Kingdom of Hamil had its headquarters in the capital and branches in various cities. In some cases, outposts were set up in distant towns or villages.

Adventurers usually set up their bases where they want to operate, but most prefer to live in large cities for convenience. This is because large cities have high-quality weapons and equipment, and more requests are concentrated there, which is a natural consequence.

There are adventurers who live in small towns or villages, but most are low-level adventurers or elderly adventurers who are about to retire. They are mostly at the level of stone or crystal, and it is rare to see bronze-level adventurers, according to what Nord had heard.

This is because there is less competition in local guilds,